The suitability of Narrative

Inquiry in health research Gunilla Haydon RN PhD Candidate

Associate Professor Pamela van der Riet

Associate Professor Jane Maguire

The suitability of Narrative Inquiry

in health research Narrative inquiry is an emerging methodology in

nursing

Differences in collecting and presenting data hinders

the understanding and NI is judged as an undependable

‘novel’

Used, and accepted, in sociology and education research (Riessman, 1993; Polkinghorne, 1995; Clandinin & Connelly, 2000)

Given the increasing popularity of narrative inquiry and

the ubiquity of narratives as such, it is not surprising

that there exists a multitude of definitions of the

concept.

The suitability of Narrative Inquiry

in health research

Narrative inquiry

uses field texts, such as stories, journals, field notes,

letters, conversations, interviews, photos as the

foundation of analysis to research

explore the way people create meaning in their lives as

narratives

Explore how narrative changes with time, social settings

and location

The suitability of Narrative Inquiry

in health research We, as human beings, describe our experiences and

realities narratively.

We explore and comprehend events by telling and

listening to stories, we dream narratively - people live

narrative lives. (Clandinin, 2013)

Thus, the illness trajectory can be seen as a narrative.

A classic narrative has beginning (normal life) - an event

(an illness, acute or chronic) and an end (a ‘new’ normal

life).

The suitability of Narrative Inquiry

in health research Patients storytelling support their understating of their

illness

Narrative inquiry include the researcher as a participant

with a mutual relationship between the researcher and

patient.

This builds trust and nurtures a deeper mutual

understanding, revealing details not accessible in an

interview.

The suitability of Narrative Inquiry

in health research Prof. Donald E Polkinghorne School of psychology

(Narrative Knowing and the Human Sciences,1988)

Prof. Catherine Kohler Riessman Department of

sociology (Narrative Analysis, 1993)

Prof. Barbara Czarniawska School of business

(Narratives in Social Science Research, 2004)

Prof. Michael Connelly and Prof. Jean Clandinin

(Narrative Inquiry: Experience and Story in Qualitative

Research, 2000)

Prof. Jean Clandinin (Engaging in Narrative Inquiry, 2013)

Prof. Margaret Sandelowski School of nursing

The suitability of Narrative Inquiry

in health research Clandinin and Connelly make a good case for narrative

as epistemological stance, research methodology, and

scholarly discourse—all uniquely capable of "getting at"

the content of human lives.

Narrative captures and investigates experiences as

human beings live them in time, in space, in person, and

in relationship.

three-dimensional inquiry space; the temporal, the

spatial, and the personal-social.

The suitability of Narrative Inquiry

in health research

Patients storytelling support their understating of their

illness and narrative inquiry include the researcher as a

participant with a mutual relationship between the

researcher and patient. This builds trust and nurtures a

deeper mutual understanding, revealing details not

accessible in an interview.

(Clandinin, 2013)

The suitability of Narrative Inquiry

in health research The presentation of collected data narratively as

collaboration between researcher and patient create a

narrative that are informal to read but hold a true and

deep understanding of the patients’ experience.

(Clandinin, 2013)

Narrative inquiry with its relational data collection and

informal presentation may well encourage nursing

colleagues to become more engaged in research

participation.

(Clandinin, 2013)

The suitability of Narrative Inquiry

in health research Is it time to think of the reader of

research?

For whom are we researching?

Narrative Inquiry presents research in a

form that is understandable for individuals

that are not used to academic writing

The suitability of Narrative Inquiry in

health research

Questions

and

Curiosities?

The suitability of Narrative Inquiry in

health research

References Clandinin, D.J. (2013). Engaging in narrative Inquiry. Walnut Creek, California ; Left

Coast Press.

Clandinin, D.J., & Connelly, F.M. (2000). Narrative Inquiry: experience and story in

qualitative research. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Czarniawska, B. (2004). Narrative research in social science research. London: Sage

Polkinghorne. D.E. (1988). Narrative knowing and the human sciences. Albany: State

University of New York Press.

Riessman, C.K. (2008). Narrative methods for the human sciences. Thousand Oaks,

California: Sage.